Best System That Will Run Windows 7

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
mesapegasus

mesapegasus

Prominent
Aug 28, 2017
16
0
520
I had an old HP prebuilt PC that I migrated to a new Corsair Carbide 300R case and Corsair CS750M 750w power supply. I maxed out the RAM with 4x 4GB DDR3 memory. I bought a new graphics card (the reason for all this) but I never installed it because at this point the motherboard and/or SATA controller failed.

So, I need a new motherboard and CPU. This is a good opportunity to get something modern. However, I absolutely require Windows 7 (please don't debate this). I understand I will have to buy a new license. But my question is, what are the latest CPUs, sockets, chipsets, etc. that Windows 7 will work well with? I realize they may be a few years old.

Also, if I can use the DDR3 memory that would be fine but I'm willing to buy new DDR4 or DDR5 if that's necessary or useful. I can repurpose the DDR3. Should I try to to use the MSI GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card I bought:
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA0ZX64G6392
or will that hold me back?

FYI I am not a gamer but I do music and video editing.

 
Solution
BFG-9000
First of all, Broadwell isn't compatible with 80-series chipsets, so there are actually only two chipsets to choose from: Z97 and H97. The 90-series added support for M.2 SSD sticks as well. All of them came with USB 3.0.

There are at least several reasons to select the Z97 even if you don't intend to overclock now. First of all they are the most expensive so tend to be the best made and full featured in a motherboard manufacturer's line. 2nd as you have selected a matching unlocked processor anyway, the future resale value will be improved. And 3rd, when the system becomes old and long in the tooth you will have the option to overclock if you just need a bit more performance then, such as to meet the minimum requirements of some...
Sort by date Sort by votes
C

Calvin7

Titan
Feb 19, 2013
11,725
334
76,490
Upvote 0 Downvote
BFG-9000

BFG-9000

Splendid
Sep 17, 2016
3,415
434
27,090
The current Ryzen and Skylake/Kaby lake platforms work fine in Windows 7, it's just that Microsoft artificially prevents WindowsUpdates from working with them. This limitation can be bypassed with the unofficial Zeffy Patch.

If you want official support, the fastest systems available are the Broadwell platforms, either on the 4-core/8-thread i7-5775C with its enormous 128MB eDRAM L4 cache for LGA1150, or the 10-core/20-thread i7-6950x for LGA2011v3.

Which is better for you depends on the specific applications you are using. The 1060 is a fine card for video editing especially if you are using Adobe which can use CUDA to hardware accelerate many tasks.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
mesapegasus

mesapegasus

Prominent
Aug 28, 2017
16
0
520


Thank you.

So, I want the i7-5775C CPU and a motherboard with a LGA1150 socket. How do I cross-reference Broadwell with the chipsets listed here? There are 7 chipsets for LGA1150, each with options and suboptions. How do I screen out things like overclocking or gaming?

Also I have 16GB of DDR3-1333. The Intel page says the i7-5775C likes "DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.5V". I thought the L meant less than 1.5V. Answered questions on the newegg page indicate my memory will work. Am I reading this right?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
BFG-9000

BFG-9000

Splendid
Sep 17, 2016
3,415
434
27,090
First of all, Broadwell isn't compatible with 80-series chipsets, so there are actually only two chipsets to choose from: Z97 and H97. The 90-series added support for M.2 SSD sticks as well. All of them came with USB 3.0.

There are at least several reasons to select the Z97 even if you don't intend to overclock now. First of all they are the most expensive so tend to be the best made and full featured in a motherboard manufacturer's line. 2nd as you have selected a matching unlocked processor anyway, the future resale value will be improved. And 3rd, when the system becomes old and long in the tooth you will have the option to overclock if you just need a bit more performance then, such as to meet the minimum requirements of some future editing software.

Broadwell added support for DDR3L but does not require it. Furthermore DDR3L is required to also be able operate at 1.5v (not just its default 1.35v) for backwards compatibility, so this is mostly just a warning to not use the older 1.65v overclocking DDR3 that was usable in older chipsets. Skylake and Kaby Lake have a maximum spec of 1.35v so DDR3L is required for them if not using DDR4. There is also a 1.25v DDR3U suited for battery powered devices.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
mesapegasus

mesapegasus

Prominent
Aug 28, 2017
16
0
520


Thanks a bunch!

FYI here's what I bought:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K2MAU5Q/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom